Watching YouTube on Android TV

Android TV and Google TV cover a wide range of hardware: streaming boxes and sticks like Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield, plus TVs from Sony, TCL, Philips, and others that run Android TV or Google TV as their built-in operating system. Whatever the box or brand, the software layer is largely the same, and so is how YouTube behaves on it.

Quick answer

The official YouTube app comes preinstalled on Android TV and Google TV devices, and it's an ad-supported experience unless you're signed into a YouTube Premium account. If you want to change how YouTube looks or behaves — different navigation, content filtering, and so on — the main third-party option for this platform is SmartTube, which is sideloaded outside the Play Store.

The official YouTube app

The stock YouTube app is what you get out of the box, and it's the path of least resistance: it's already installed, it's kept up to date automatically, and it supports everything YouTube ships — Shorts, Live, casting, multiple sign-ins, and so on. The tradeoff is ads, which show up between and sometimes during videos unless the signed-in account has YouTube Premium. Premium is the official way to remove ads and add background play and downloads, and it works the same way here as on any other device — no sideloading or configuration involved. If you're weighing Premium against third-party tools more generally, this comparison covers the tradeoffs in more depth.

Third-party options

SmartTube is the main third-party YouTube client for Android TV and Google TV. It replaces the official app's interface with one built specifically for TV remotes and big screens, and it adds content-filtering options — like hiding certain channels or types of videos — that the stock app doesn't offer. It's not distributed through the Play Store, so installing it means sideloading the APK from the project's GitHub releases. See the SmartTube guide for what it does and how the general setup process works.

You might also come across ReVanced mentioned alongside Android TV. Worth knowing: ReVanced's patches are built primarily for the YouTube app on Android phones and tablets, not the Android TV app, so it isn't really a fit for this platform the way SmartTube is.

TizenTube Cobalt is a separate, related project — built on the Cobalt app container rather than as a patched YouTube app — aimed at Android TV and Google TV (and, on some devices, Fire TV). It's not the same codebase as SmartTube; it's a different approach worth comparing if you want an ad-blocking-focused option specifically. See the TizenTube Cobalt guide for setup instructions and requirements.

Compatibility

SmartTube and TizenTube Cobalt are both actively developed and, according to their own documentation, target Android TV and Google TV as primary platforms. YouTube Premium, being an official YouTube product, works everywhere the official app does. Compatibility for anything sideloaded can shift with Android TV system updates or YouTube backend changes, so it's worth checking each project's own documentation before installing rather than assuming last year's instructions still apply exactly.

Limitations

• Sideloading an APK on Android TV requires enabling installs from unknown sources, which is a step most users won't have touched before and varies slightly by manufacturer.
• Some Android TV boxes and TV-integrated implementations restrict sideloading more than others, or make the settings harder to find.
• A third-party client depends on YouTube's backend continuing to work the way it currently does; if YouTube changes something the project hasn't adapted to yet, features can break temporarily.
• Firmware and remote behavior differ across manufacturers, so navigation inside any sideloaded app can feel slightly different from one Android TV device to the next.

Alternatives

Fire TV runs on Fire OS, which is also Android-based, and SmartTube generally carries over there too — see the Fire TV guide for the specifics. If you're on a Samsung TV instead, note that Samsung's Tizen OS is a completely different platform from Android TV, so SmartTube won't install there — the Samsung TV guide and TizenTube cover that platform's own third-party option.

Frequently asked questions

Does SmartTube work on every Android TV device?

It's built for Android TV and Google TV generally and is actively tested there, but exact behavior can vary by manufacturer, remote, and firmware version. Check the project's own documentation for known device issues before installing.

Can I use ReVanced on my Android TV box?

Not really — ReVanced's patches target the YouTube app on Android phones and tablets, not the Android TV app, so it isn't built for this platform. SmartTube and TizenTube Cobalt are the more relevant options for Android TV.

What's the difference between SmartTube and TizenTube Cobalt?

They're separate, unrelated projects that happen to target similar hardware. SmartTube is a full TV-oriented YouTube client built from scratch; TizenTube Cobalt takes the approach originally built for Samsung's TizenTube and brings it to Android TV/Google TV via the Cobalt app container. Check each project's own documentation to see which fits your device and preferences.

Do I need to sideload anything if I just want to remove ads?

No. YouTube Premium removes ads in the official app without any sideloading — it's the no-setup option if you'd rather not install anything outside the Play Store.

Will installing SmartTube affect my existing YouTube app?

No, SmartTube installs as a separate app alongside the official YouTube app rather than replacing it, so you can keep both and switch between them.